


Closer Than You've Known

by copias_gloves



Series: Sathanas, We Are One [6]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Cuddling & Snuggling, Eventual Smut, Flirting, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Injury, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Love, Making Out, Mild Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mount Emberest, Open Relationships, Pain Kink, Porn with Feelings, Precious, Secrets, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wholesome, cum tasting, getting handsy, grey ace, grey asexual, happy crying, oral sex aversion, self-deprecating thoughts, seriously who even am I anymore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-02-26 21:08:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18725017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copias_gloves/pseuds/copias_gloves
Summary: Ember and Mountain spend the day together.





	1. Is this a date?

**Author's Note:**

> AT LONG LAST MY OTP CAN BE FREEEEE!! I'm calling this ship "Mount Emberest" lol
> 
> I'm very excited about this story, in case you couldn't tell. I've had this in mind since early You're So Goddamn Frail, so HHHHH finally writing it is so satisfying to me. I hope you enjoy! 🖤🖤🖤
> 
> Big thank you to @Dying_Deist and @sushiwestern for putting up with all my OTP ranting lately XD

They were still on a long break between tours, and everyone was getting comfortable in their domestic routines. Aether had been spending a lot of time with Copia, the ghoulettes were their normal inseparable selves, and Multi and Rain were fairly attached at the hip (often literally) those days. 

Ember hated the idea of getting rusty, so he chose to stay sharp and practice guitar in most of his free time, keeping his muscle memory consistent. The mid-morning sun was beaming in through his curtains, and Ember sat in the chair by his desk, leaning it back at a dangerous angle as he played his guitar without an amp. He kept his balance however, and even played around with adding more licks between all the parts that he knew by heart.

He heard a bright knocking on his door, one he didn’t recognize.  _ Maybe Copia? _ It had been some time since they’d spoken (or otherwise met) privately. Ember stopped strumming and set the guitar on the rack by his desk before answering.

The skinny ghoul pulled the door open to find Mountain standing there, looking cheerful, but also, if Ember wasn’t mistaken, a little bit nervous. Ember smiled up at him. He hadn’t been expecting a visit from the drummer, but he was happy to see the tall ghoul.

“What brings you here?” Ember asked openly. “Also, hi,” he added, not wanting to be impolite. Not to Mountain, anyway.

Mountain rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, “Hi there, Ember. I was wondering… if you don’t have any other plans today, that is, maybe you’d like to go for a walk with me?”

Ember  _ definitely _ hadn’t been expecting that either. Pleasantly surprised, he answered, “Sure, that sounds nice.” He did quite like the outdoors, and he had been cooped up in his room for a good portion of the break. A walk would do him good, and it’d be a nice chance to get to know Mountain better.

“Cool, so, if you’re up for it, I’d like to prepare a picnic too,” Mountain added. His face lit up with such obvious excitement, it would have been cruel to turn him down. Not that Ember would have; any opportunity to eat more of Mountain’s cooking was an opportunity worth taking in his book.

“Definitely. I haven’t eaten yet today, actually,” Ember realized, feeling the beginnings of hunger pangs just thinking about food.

“Oh, well, I hope you can wait a little longer. Want to meet me in the kitchen around lunch time?” 

“I’ll see you there,” Ember agreed. 

Mountain looked positively thrilled, his smile so wide that his jade eyes almost closed completely. “Great. See you later.” The tall ghoul turned and left. 

Ember ducked his head out the door and watched him walk down to the end of the corridor, then turn toward the kitchen right away. He straightened up again, and stood there for a moment in thought. 

_ Is this a date? _ He honestly wasn’t sure. He peeked out toward the kitchen again. No sign of Mountain coming back anytime soon. He really wanted to ask someone else’s opinion, but who… He didn’t feel comfortable asking Aether, even though they’d rekindled their friendship. Rain and Multi were probably both still asleep.  _ Maybe I’ll ask the ghoulettes. _

Ember walked the short trip down the hallway to Cirrus’ room, where they seemed to be spending most of their time, at least the past week or so. Every once in a while they switched to the other’s room. Ember thought it was cute. He knocked on Cirrus’ door, and heard both ghoulettes beckon him inside in warm welcome.

Ember entered the room to find Cirrus reading on the window-seat while Cumulus had been doing some morning yoga. Cirrus’ room was very aesthetically pleasing; she’d decorated with soft fabrics in neutral greys, with small colorful pieces here and there. A faint scent of incense hung in the air, likely from the night before. 

“Good morning, Ember!” Cumulus greeted him, while Cirrus gave a small wave.

“Morning ladies. Can I bother you for a minute?” Ember said as he started to close the door.

“Of course, it’s no bother at all, you’re welcome any time,” Cirrus reassured him.

Ember shut the door and motioned toward the bed, silently asking if he could sit there. Both keyboardists nodded in approval, and he took a seat on the end of the bed. “So, I want your opinion on something. I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into things or if it’s what I think it is.”  _ Or is it just what I hope it is? _

“Ooh, sounds juicy! Do tell,” Cumulus encouraged him. She transitioned into her next yoga pose while she listened.

“I’m flattered that you would come to use for our advice,” Cirrus added, “We’d be happy to help.”

“Thanks,” Ember said before he dove right into it. “Okay, so, at the Festival, me and Mountain had a really nice time, and—”

“AHH DID YOU TWO HOOK UP?” Cumulus immediately asked, breaking her pose in her excitement.

“No, we didn’t. It wasn’t even like that really, at least there’s no evidence that it was. We smoked together a little, he was really happy I liked his food, and then later on we met by the Wrath pits and we had a good fight and he knocked me out.”

Cirrus was contemplating his story, but reserving judgement.

“Well that sounds fun, maybe minus the ‘knocked out’ part,” Cumulus commented. She had resumed her pose by then.

“It was great. And now, just now, he came to my room and asked if I want to go on a walk with him. And a picnic… Is that a date?”

Cumulus struggled to maintain her pose, but she stuck with it as she responded, “Awwwww, that’s really nice. It might be a date I think. At least, he’s never asked any of the rest of us to go have a picnic. Has he?” She turned to Cirrus.

The taller ghoulette held her chin while she thought, considering all the factors, no doubt. “I’m not so sure. Although I agree, this is a rare occasion, it’s safer not to assume intentions until they’re made clear by the parties involved. Best to stay neutral, Ember, and see how things play out.”

Ember nodded, not feeling any more certain than when he’d walked into the room. 

“Here’s the  _ real _ question though, do you  _ want _ it to be a date?” Cumulus asked.

It was Ember’s turn to consider his answer. He was curious about Mountain, and he had certainly enjoyed being around him during the Festival, and he was reasonably attracted to him… “I think I do want it to be a date,” he admitted.

Cumulus made a tiny squealing sound of delight. Cirrus smiled too, but remained calm. “I still think it’s best to go in without any expectations.”

Ember nodded, agreeing that was the better approach.

“But if an opportunity presents itself… Be open to it, that’s all,” Cumulus chimed in.

The skinny ghoul stood up. “Thank you for your input ladies. I’ll leave you two be,” he said as he headed for the door. Cumulus ran ahead of him to graciously get the door. As he walked past her, she whispered to him:

“ _ You should totally go for it!” _

Ember smiled at her and gave her a wave before heading back to his room.  _ So it still might or might not be a date, I want it to be a date, but I shouldn’t act like I want it to be a date, unless an opportunity to make it a date shows up… Easy. _

  
  


Just before lunchtime, Ember made his way to the kitchen. Mountain was cleaning up some dishes, and on the counter sat a large, classic picnic basket made of wicker with a green and white checkered cloth. The tall ghoul turned and waved a soapy hand at him, then turned back to the sink and finished up rinsing. When he was done with that, Mountain untied his apron, which Ember then noticed said on the front, “This shit is going to be DELICIOUS.”

Mountain hung up his apron in the small pantry, then joined Ember by the counter.

“Ready to go?”

“Yep.” Ember pointed at the basket, which to him seemed overly large for only two people. Maybe he had invited others after all, and this wasn’t a date. “Will anyone be joining us?” He asked.

“Hm? Oh… “ Mountain’s shoulders visibly sunk a little. “We could invite some of the others, if you want,” he offered, though he didn’t sound particularly thrilled about the idea.

“No, sorry, that’s not what I—It just looks like a lot for two people, that’s all,” Ember tried to explain. He hoped he hadn’t given the wrong impression, like he didn’t want to be alone with him. “Shall we?”

“Let’s.” Mountain grabbed the handle of the picnic market and easily lifted it, as if it were full of only marshmallows. He led the way outside and the two ghouls stepped out into the sunny, crisp spring day. Mountain walked a little bit ahead of Ember, guiding him across the grass. “I know a great spot. It’s not too far away, I know you’re hungry,” the tall ghoul said.

Ember was indeed. His stomach had been growling for the past half hour. “Good, I don’t know how far I can walk if I don’t eat soon,” he confessed.

“I can relate,” the drummer responded, turning to smile at him.

_ Fuck, there he goes with that smile. Stay neutral, don’t assume anything. See how things go. _

They continued on for a few minutes, walking partially through the thicket to a small clearing, around the outer rim of which was plenty of shade, and in the center was a patch of brightly-colored wildflowers, some a rich indigo, others vibrant yellow, and still more were fiery orange. Mountain picked out a spot on the edge of the shade, so they could enjoy the best of both the cool shadow and the warm sunlight.

After laying out the green and white checkered cloth for them to sit on, and they both knelt down while Mountain began unpacking the basket.

“Okay, first of all, I had to bring this,” he said as he lifted out a large container. He opened the lid and inside was more Fire-clan-style seared meat. Ember rubbed his hands together in excitement.

“Oh fuck yeah,” the skinny ghoul said.

“This one’s a different recipe though, I mixed some Earth-style ingredients with it, I hope you like it. Kind of fusion I guess. And then,” Mountain reached in and pulled out two medium containers. “I wasn’t sure if you’d prefer rice or noodles, so I brought both. Neither is fine too,” Mountain chuckled. “Then we have some sides, just a few veggies,” the tall ghoul pulled out four small containers, each with a different color vegetable in what looked to be a variety of sauces. “And lastly, I made some elderflower lemonade.” He brought out a tall bottle with a cork top, its contents a pale yellow hue. He took out some cups as well.

Ember stared at everything, stunned to silence. He couldn’t believe Mountain went through all that trouble, seemingly just for him.

“What’s wrong?” Mountain asked, suddenly worried.

“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is good, this all looks really, really good. And like a lot of work,” Ember commented, wanting to acknowledge the ghoul’s efforts. 

“Oh, well, it doesn’t feel like work to me. It’s fun, I enjoy it. And you seemed to enjoy my cooking so… here we are,” Mountain said as he gestured toward the food in invitation. “Please, help yourself.”

They both filled a paper plate with ample shares of each dish, and Ember couldn’t wait to try the fusion-style meat especially. He grabbed a piece between his fingers, not bothering with utensils, he was too hungry. The first bite revealed a sweet-and-spicy sauce, along with other herbs to give the flavor more depth, and the meat was seared to perfection. Ember closed his eyes and smiled while he chewed, sighing in contentment.

“Yeah? You like it?” The drummer asked.

“Mmhmm.”

“I’m glad. Have as much as you want.”

The veggies tasted great too, even though normally Ember wouldn’t consider himself a big fan of them. Each sauce brought a different type of flavor to the meal; one was tangy, another savory, some more spicy-sweet combo, and even a bitter one that Ember found surprisingly tasty. 

They ate in relative quiet, both of them apparently ravenous. The elderflower lemonade was delicious too, and Ember couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be the one to share this meal. Surely he couldn’t be the only other ghoul who appreciated Mountain’s cooking; Ember wasn’t an expert or anything himself, but he could recognize skill when he saw it, or in this case, tasted it.

Once he was full, Ember stretched out and propped himself on his elbows, watching the wildflowers sway in the breeze in the middle of the clearing. He could already feel the onset of his food coma. They’d demolished most of what Mountain had brought, but in the end he wasn’t that surprised; they had large appetites in common.

“I think I’m gonna explode. You’re gonna have to roll me back to the Abbey,” Ember joked, patting his stomach. 

“Then you didn’t save room for dessert?”

Ember had a soft spot for sweets, though he did his best to avoid eating them too often. He raised his eyebrow in curiosity. “I could be convinced to eat some dessert. What is it?”

Mountain grinned as he reached into the basket once more and brought out two small jars, each containing what looked like chocolate cake with a ribbon of caramel around the inside of the jar. Mountain handed one to him, along with a spoon, and clinked his jar against Ember’s. They both ate their jar cakes, quiet once more, occasionally glancing at each other and smiling when they made eye contact.

_ Is this a date? I still don’t know…  _

Ember tried to not be overly sensual as he licked the caramel off his spoon, but he did catch Mountain watching him do it. They finished their desserts and packed all the containers away, back into the picnic basket.

“We can just leave this here, we’ll pick it up on the way back. Come on, time to walk all this food off,” Mountain said as he stood and held out a hand to help Ember to his feet. The skinny ghoul accepted his offer and got up too, and they stepped into the sunshine to get a closer look at the wildflowers before beginning their walk proper. Suddenly Ember wished he’d brought a camera or something to capture this scene; the way the delicate blossoms danced together in the afternoon sun, the tall grass buffeting the flowers, and the way Mountain smiled at all of them… 

Ember followed the tall ghoul’s lead as they made their way to a subtle, makeshift path that would have been easy to miss if one didn’t know about it.

“So do you often go on walks?” Ember asked.

“I do, when I can anyway. It helps me clear my head, stay active, all that. What about you?”

“I should get out more, I tend to hole up in my room a lot,” Ember confessed. At least lately he had been. But for once it was a good thing; he’d been content with just being himself, ever since the Festival.

“We could go on walks together then,” Mountain suggested.

“I’d like that.”

As they continued walking along the path, the only sound for a while was their footfalls on the dirt and the distant calling of birds. The sun was warm on Ember’s shoulders, the air fresh and restorative.

Ember felt something brush against his hand, and quickly realized it was Mountain’s hand, tentatively reaching out to touch him. His heart leapt, and he glanced at Mountain to see if it was intentional. The tall ghoul was already looking at him, and they smiled at each other. Then, in one fluid motion, Mountain stepped a little closer so he could lace their fingers together and hold Ember’s hand as they walked.

_ So… it is a date then, _ Ember decided, and he couldn’t stop smiling. Their thumbs gently rubbed together in tiny unspoken expressions of their interest in each other, and Ember was filled with a warm, happy feeling.

The two ghouls walked hand in hand for some time, further and further away from the Abbey until Ember wasn’t sure they were even on the grounds anymore. At that point he didn’t really care if they ever went back; this was so nice, just being in each other’s company, enjoying the day.

After a long time of agreeable silence, Mountain finally spoke up, “I’d like to show you something. It’s a secret, and nobody else knows about it.”

Ember’s imagination began to run wild with possibilities. “A secret, huh? I’d be honored,” he responded, already feeling excitement bubble up inside him.

“Since it’s such a big secret, would you close your eyes til we get there? One can never be too careful with these kinds of things…” The drummer’s tone was playful, but serious. “I won’t let you trip, I promise,” he added.

“Okay, I’m trusting you, Mountain. Fair warning: if you try to pull a fast one on me, I won’t hesitate to fight you again,” Ember said, half kidding. He couldn’t see Mountain pulling some kind of mean prank on him or anything, but just in case, he wanted to set the record straight.

“Haha, noted. Now close your eyes, it’s not too much farther from here.”

Ember closed his eyes and let Mountain lead him along by the hand, and, true to his word, every so often the tall ghoul would warn him to step carefully over a branch or when the ground was uneven so that he wouldn’t lose his footing.

“Don’t open your eyes yet,” Mountain instructed him as he let go of Ember’s hand. The drummer moved behind him and held his hands over the skinny ghoul’s eyes for extra caution. “Step forward a little bit more, the ground is even here, so don’t worry. A little bit more, a liiiiittle bit more… Okay, stop. Are you ready?”

“The suspense is killing me,” Ember complained, though he was smiling.

Mountain pulled his hands away, and Ember opened his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MOUNTAIN APPRECIATION GANG UNITE  
> Seriously, he's the best boi, and by the end of this I hope you all love him that much more!
> 
> What do you think his secret is? 😏Let me know in the comments! (I hope your ideas won't be better than what I have planned lol)
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


	2. Why would you keep that a secret?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mountain shares his secret with Ember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this story makes me so happy, I can't even express it properly 🖤🖤🖤  
> Hope you enjoy this latest installment of CUTE WHOLESOME ADORABLE FLUFFINESS
> 
> Thank you @Dying_Deist and @sushiwestern for beta reading!

_Please don’t think this is lame,_ Mountain silently begged as he pulled his hands away from Ember’s face.

A few feet ahead of them was Mountain’s secret: a comfy, orange hammock. One of his prized possessions (and one of the few personal items he owned on the surface), the hammock was strung between two thin but sturdy trees in a secluded area just beyond the Abbey grounds. There were fewer trees here, but just enough shade, and the sounds of a nearby stream could be heard, adding to the calm atmosphere.

Mountain half expected Ember to be disappointed, but the skinny ghoul turned back to look at him with a huge smile, the likes of which he’d never seen on the guitarist’s face and certainly never directed at him. Immediately, Ember rushed forward and practically jumped into the hammock. Mountain watched as the skinny ghoul was nearly swallowed up by it, his legs dangling well above the ground while he swung a bit, thoroughly enjoying himself by the looks of it. _Damn, he looks really cute like that,_ Mountain thought, but didn’t dare say so out loud; he didn’t think the skinny ghoul would take kindly to being called “cute.”

“This is fucking great, no wonder you keep it a secret,” Ember commented, still swinging back and forth.

“You really think so? You’re not just saying that to be nice?” Mountain couldn’t help feeling like this sort of thing wouldn’t be that exciting for someone like Ember, who always seemed so energetic.

Ember tilted his head and gave him a hard look. “Believe me, you’d know if I thought otherwise. I’m not in the habit of sugar-coating things.”

That he did believe; Ember was pretty well known for offering his honest opinion, even if it meant being a little too honest sometimes. Mountain stepped closer, saying, “In that case…  How about we relax here a while? Maybe nap off this food coma?”

“Ugh, yes, I’m still so full,” Ember agreed.

The tall ghoul’s heart fluttered, and he bent down to untie his boots. Ember followed suit, kicking off his tennis shoes and letting them fall to the ground below the hammock, the toes of his bare feet wiggling freely.

“Nice socks,” Ember said.

Mountain looked down at his pineapple-patterned socks; the other ghouls tended to wear regular, solid color socks (or in Ember’s case, no socks at all, apparently), but Mountain enjoyed bringing some life to his wardrobe with funky footwear. He smiled and his face flushed a little at the compliment.

“Thanks. Could you—Maybe I should get in first? And then you—” Mountain felt awkward, trying to figure out how they would get situated, as he’d never really tried to share his hammock with anyone else before. Ember however struggled to escape the hammock’s clutches, it enveloped him so completely. Mountain moved to assist him, grabbing the skinny ghoul’s wrists to tug him out onto his feet. Ember didn’t weigh much, and the tall ghoul accidentally used more of his innate strength than he needed to, flinging the skinny ghoul against himself so hard they had to clutch onto each other to stop from falling over. Once they regained their balance, Ember fixed his cool grey eyes on Mountain, in that way that made the drummer’s heart skip a beat. They were still clinging to each other. The tall ghoul chuckled nervously, then released his grip on his bandmate.

“Sorry, sometimes I’m stronger than I think I am,” Mountain apologized.

“That’s fine by me,” Ember said quietly as he too released his grip, albeit much more gradually, as if reluctant to let go of him.

Mountain felt like there were several implications of such a response, but he could ponder that later; for now, things were going better than he expected and he didn’t want to ruin it by getting ahead of himself or analyzing every interaction. _Stay present in the moment._ He moved past Ember and eased back into the hammock with a well-practiced balance. Mountain wished his heart wasn’t racing like it was, but it couldn’t be helped; Ember was finally here with him, looking at him with those grey eyes, and it all felt so surreal. He didn’t think the guitarist would ever actually pay attention to him, nor that he would ever agree to spending the afternoon together, and now they were about to take a nap in his secret hammock and he felt like his heart might burst with excitement.

Ember tentatively attempted to join him on the hammock, though as he started to climb in the whole thing nearly tipped over to dump Mountain out of it but they managed to right the balance in time. Even more careful now, the skinny ghoul added the rest of his weight to the hammock and settled with his legs between Mountain’s, his head resting on the drummer’s chest, and without hesitation tucked his arms around Mountain’s torso as well.

Certain that Ember could hear his heart hammering in his chest, Mountain wrapped his arms around the skinny ghoul’s back and took a deep breath to try and calm himself a bit. He found Ember to be naturally very warm, as if a furnace burned inside him. It was almost intoxicating, he felt addicted to it right away, and wanted to never separate from that warmth. Ember snuggled against him, getting comfortable, and suddenly Mountain wasn’t sure he could fall asleep at all, for possibly the first time in his life. He was too happy.

But as the hammock gently swayed, and as the stream continued its watery chatter, combined with the alluring warmth of the skinny ghoul’s body, Mountain was eventually lulled into a sound sleep.

(Art by @sushiwestern aka [monstrancecok on Tumblr](https://monstrancecok.tumblr.com/)) 

 

A warm hand pressed against Mountain’s chest to wake him gently. The tall ghoul inhaled deeply; without opening his eyes, he could sense it was already late afternoon, nearly sunset. Mountain idly smoothed his hands across the other ghoul’s back, tempted to fall back to sleep, it was so comfortable…

“Hey, sleepyhead, wake up,” Ember whispered at him, stern but not unkind. “If I keep sleeping I’m gonna fuck up my whole schedule.”

“Mmm? Okay, okay. I’m awake,” Mountain replied, though he was still not willing to open his eyes yet. _Just a few more minutes…_

The hand pressed to his chest patted him a few times. “Mountain.”

 _Why do I love it so much when he says my name?_ The tall ghoul finally opened his eyes. Ember was propped up on one elbow and watching him, but not impatiently.

Mountain smiled at him and rubbed the skinny ghoul’s back a little. “Alright, for real though, you have to get up first or I’m never getting up ever again.”

Ember snickered at that before replying suggestively, “That shouldn’t be a problem then.”

It took Mountain a second to get the joke, but when he did, his face blushed and he rolled his eyes. “Ha ha, you’re very funny,” he said sarcastically, but he was still smiling at the skinny ghoul.

“Couldn’t resist giving you a _hard_ time,” Ember added. He paused for a moment and then burst into laughter when Mountain rolled his eyes even more.

“That’s it, get out of my hammock,” Mountain jokingly commanded him, fed up with the cheesy innuendos. Ember was still laughing at his own joke as he shifted his weight and carefully made his way out of the hammock. The sudden absence of his warmth almost gave Mountain a chill; the air was much cooler now that the sun was going down; they’d slept longer than he originally intended. _Worth it._

Mountain got out of the hammock finally and the two of them stepped back into their shoes.

“I won’t make you close your eyes on the way back _if,”_ Mountain held out his fist with the pinky sticking out toward Ember, “if you promise not to tell another soul about my secret spot.”

Ember looked confused, not understanding the gesture. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

“Pinky promise.”

“What’s that?”

“I learned it from a devotee. You link your pinkies together, you both kiss the other side of your hands at the same time, and then that promise can never be broken, ever.”

Ember looked highly skeptical, but he grinned and linked his pinky with Mountain’s all the same. “What happens if you break the promise? Not that I would, just, you know, curious.”

The tall ghoul contemplated that for a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t think they actually said. But probably something terrible.”

“Hm, I’ve had enough of terrible.” Ember raised their linked hands up toward their faces and they each leaned in to kiss their respective side of the gesture. Their eyes locked as they did so, and Mountain was tempted to kiss Ember for real, but decided this wasn’t the right moment. _Not yet, it’ll happen when it’s supposed to, if it happens at all,_ he reminded himself.

Confident enough at least to hold Ember’s hand again, Mountain led the way to a different path they could take on the way back; he wanted to show the skinny ghoul more of the area, so this time they walked along the stream, which emptied into a large pond. The nap seemed to have given Ember a burst of energy; the skinny ghoul swung their arms between them merrily as they walked along the edge of the pond.

“I feel like I owe you a secret now… it’s only fair, right?” Ember said.

“If you want to, sure, but you don’t have to,” Mountain stressed. He didn’t want Ember thinking he owed him anything, all of this was simply because he wanted to spend time with him, not to gain something from him.

The skinny ghoul chewed his lip in thought. “Hmm… something nobody else knows… “

“It’s fine, Ember, really, you don’t have to—”

“I got it,” the skinny ghoul interrupted him. He stepped in front of Mountain and faced him, making the tall ghoul stop in his tracks. Ember pointed his thin finger at him. “But just like that hammock of yours, you cannot tell _anyone_ about this, or I will personally see to it that you never sleep another night for the rest of your life.” His threat cut deep; everyone knew how much Mountain loved to sleep, and even if the threat wasn’t entirely serious, the drummer still took it very seriously.

In the back of his mind, he wondered if Ember was trying to imply something else aside from merely disturbing his sleep…

“You have my word,” Mountain swore, moving past that thought process as soon as possible. “I won’t tell a single soul, damned or otherwise.”

Satisfied with his sincerity, it seemed, Ember stepped back a few paces with a smirk on his face. And then he began to sing (lyrics from [ David Bowie - ‘Beat Of Your Drum’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHABNvnRkzc)): 

> _“Photograph king, watches you go  
> _ _Now, fashions may change, heaven knows  
> _ _But you still leave a stain on me  
> _ _Only to go  
> _ _Colours may fade  
> _ _Seasons may change, weather blows, but you still leave a mark on me  
> _ _Wrong, negative fades, never the twain, reckless and tame”_

Mountain stared in disbelief; he had absolutely no idea that Ember could sing, and he was even more impressed that he sang so well. Ember continued, his voice louder as he hit the chorus:

> _“I like the beat of your drum  
> _ _I like to look in your eyes  
> _ _I like to look through your things  
> _ _I'd like to beat on your drum  
> _ _I like the smell of your flesh  
> _ _I like the dirt that you dish  
> _ _I like the clothes that you wear  
> _ _I'd like to beat on your drum”_

By that point, Mountain’s face was completely flushed, partly in awe of Ember’s voice and partly in embarrassment at hearing the lyrics, which Ember obviously intended to be directed at him. _Fucking hell, he might actually like me too._

“Ember, wow… I—I’m… I’m speechless,” Mountain stammered. He cleared his throat to try and shake the nervousness in his voice. “Why would you keep that a secret?”

The skinny ghoul shrugged, smirking again. “Guess I didn’t feel like sharing it with anyone before.”

Before Mountain. He felt a flutter in his chest again, and all he wanted was to get back to the Abbey so he could invite Ember to his room, if only so they could keep spending time together. “We should really head back, it’s going to get much colder very soon,” he urged. He hoped he wouldn’t chicken out once they reached the Abbey.

“Sure, let’s get back inside. Stay close to me, I’ll keep you warm,” Ember said. He seemed to be getting bolder by the second, his interest in Mountain suddenly so apparent that the drummer ghoul didn’t know what to do with the information. He knew what he _wanted_ to do with the information, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to follow through with it. He just started walking, too flustered to say anything else, and grabbed Ember’s hand once more to pull him along with him.

“Ooh, someone’s in a hurry,” Ember taunted playfully. “Can’t wait to take me home?”

Mountain turned his head to look at him. Ember’s grey eyes were watching him closely, and his smile could only have been described as _naughty._ The tall ghoul’s heartbeat was full speed ahead. “Pretty much,” he finally answered, his voice quiet.

Ember squeezed his hand and they both walked just a little bit faster.

This alternate path took them by a rocky area, full of large, jagged boulders, which the clergy affectionately referred to as The Quarry, despite no such excavation ever occurring there. It caught Ember’s attention right away, and as they got closer to it, he turned to Mountain. “Sorry, can we make a quick stop? I’ve always wanted to try and climb it but never got the chance… “ He was referring to the largest boulder in the cluster; among the ghouls especially, it was a point of pride if one could say they’d climbed to the top of that rock in particular. At its highest point, it was a good fifteen feet off the ground, but its surface was tricky to maneuver and many never even made it halfway up.

Mountain had climbed it plenty of times (and succeeded, though he didn’t brag about it), so he understood the appeal. “Go for it,” the drummer ghoul encouraged him.

Mountain watched from below as Ember started to scale the boulder, the silhouette of it all starkly contrasted against the orangey glow of the sunset. The skinny ghoul was an adept climber, easily finding handholds and footholds to make quick progress up the side of the massive rock.

 _I want him to climb me like that,_ Mountain thought, as the wave of desire he’d been trying all afternoon to hold back hit him like a punch to the gut. Now that Ember was at a safe distance, the tall ghoul finally allowed himself to feel that desire, and his entire body warmed as a result.

In hardly any time at all, Ember hoisted himself onto the top of the boulder, and then brazenly stood on its narrow peak to raise his arms in triumph.

“Congrats!” Mountain called up to him. “You’re halfway done! Now you have to make it back down,” Mountain reminded him.

Ember glanced down. “Excellent point. Forgot about that part… “ he admitted, suddenly looking a little less confident about his decision to climb the boulder.

“You got this!” Mountain cheered him on.

The skinny ghoul crouched to begin his descent, and as he did so, suddenly lost his footing and tumbled off with a quiet, “Oh, fuck—“

Reflexively, Mountain lunged forward to try and catch him, or at least break his fall, and Ember slammed down onto him, knocking them both to the ground with a heavy, painful _thump._ Both ghouls groaned from the impact.

“Fuck… “

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for catching me, or trying to anyway.”

“I guess I’m partially to blame for encouraging you. I got what I deserved.” Mountain winced as his back throbbed in pain, though it was manageable. He sat up slowly and so did Ember, and as they got to their feet, the skinny ghoul yelped and buckled over.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah it’s just—I think I must have hit my ankle on the way down. I’ll be fine, I can walk on it,” Ember insisted. He straightened up and demonstrated as much, but Mountain could see he was shifting his weight in favor of one foot over the other. He didn’t call him out on it however; he didn’t want to hurt the lead guitar ghoul’s pride. _He’ll find out quick if he really can’t._

They started walking back toward the Abbey again, at a notably slower pace. They made it about twenty steps before Ember whimpered and crumpled again, clearly in more pain than he wanted to admit. Mountain stood in front of him and crouched down.

“Come on, Ember, I’ll carry you.”

“No way! I can fucking walk, okay? I just… need to go more slowly, that’s all,” the skinny ghoul insisted.

“At that rate we _might_ make it back to the Abbey before the sun rises. Just let me carry you, we’ll be back in no time and we can put some ice on it.”

Mountain watched as the skinny ghoul seemed to truly struggle with accepting his offer to help. He sensed that this was about something deeper than mere pride and not wanting to admit his pain, but he kept that observation to himself.

Reluctantly, Ember hobbled forward, rested his arms on Mountain’s shoulders and pressed against his back. The drummer ghoul reached his arms back to scoop him up and stood, bearing Ember’s weight with ease. Carrying the injured ghoul piggyback, Mountain resumed walking the path back to the Abbey.

“I hope nobody sees me like this,” Ember grumbled.

“I could tell them you lost a bet.”

“I don’t gamble.”

“Okay then, it’s a dare.”

“Fine. Whatever. Ugh. I hate this.”

 _Ouch. I hope he doesn’t mean that…_ Mountain slowed his steps to look back at Ember. “Is it really so bad?” He asked.

The skinny ghoul sighed, looking like he then realized how his comment sounded. “No, it’s really not…  Thank you. Again.”

Mountain felt Ember’s arms hold onto him a little tighter.

After a few moments, Ember spoke up again, “Oh shit, what about the picnic basket?”

“The basket can wait. Let’s get you inside and I can go back for it later.”

In truth, Mountain didn’t care if he ever saw that picnic basket again; it was an easy price to pay in exchange for more alone time with Ember.

(Art by @sushiwestern aka [monstrancecok on Tumblr](https://monstrancecok.tumblr.com/)) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MASSIVE THANK YOU TO @sushiwestern for the beautiful art!!!! You're a legend! Please go check out the rest of her stuff if you haven't already! https://monstrancecok.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


	3. And you think that's boring?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in the Abbey, Ember gets patched up and spends some more time with Mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how quickly this story is pouring out of me, but here we are, chapter 3 already! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thank you again @Dying_Deist and @SushiWestern for beta reading!

They re-entered the Abbey through the kitchen, and once they were inside, Ember buried his face into the back of Mountain’s neck, not wanting to meet anyone else’s gaze should any of the others see him being carried piggyback by the drummer. He felt Mountain shudder a bit at the contact, which made him briefly happy, but his brain wasn’t letting him enjoy what should have been a sweet gesture on the tall ghoul’s part.  _ Why am I so reckless and stupid? I should have kept walking with him, now I’ve ruined the mood, and the others will see me being a pathetic little weakling who can’t even walk on his own… I don’t want to be weak…  _ He felt the sting of tears in his eyes so he shut them tight, pressing his face harder against the nape of Mountain’s neck.

“Wanna come to my room? I’ll set you down there and come back for some ice,” the tall ghoul suggested.

Ember muttered against him, his voice muffled by skin and clothing, “Sure.” He didn’t mean to sound disinterested; far from it, he was excited to see what the drummer’s room was like, but again his mind simply wouldn’t let him enjoy the moment, given the situation.

They passed through the kitchen, turned the corner, and continued down the hallway toward Mountain’s room. Ember didn’t hear anyone else around them, only the drummer’s footsteps on the hard floor, but he refused to look up to confirm.

Mountain shifted his grip on Ember’s legs, fumbling a little to get the door open. Eventually he managed to turn the handle and they entered. Quickly crossing the room, Mountain turned around and gently set Ember down on his bed. The skinny ghoul watched as his bandmate stretched his back, finally free from the burden of carrying him. 

“I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home,” the drummer ghoul announced before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

While he had the time, Ember took a look around; Mountain kept everything quite tidy, he noticed right away, but maybe it was due to the fact that his own room was so messy by comparison. Mountain’s bed was made, the blankets smoothed evenly over the mattress, his clothes were nowhere to be seen, so probably hanging in the small closet or folded neatly and stored in the tiny dresser they were provided by the clergy. An assortment of plants in little terracotta pots lined the window sill, and he spotted a small metal watering can on the floor beside the desk. The atmosphere of it all had very calming effect on him, like an extension of the drummer ghoul himself.

On the far side of the room, past the foot of the bed, there was a large TV that Ember recognized as the one which had previously been in the ghouls’ shared living room before it had gotten upgraded to a larger flat screen model. Ember wondered how he’d managed to take possession of it, and felt a little jealous, since the other ghouls didn’t have TVs in their rooms, himself included. Beside it was a tall shelving unit chock-full of DVDs. Before he could inspect the titles, the door opened and Mountain stepped inside.

Closing the door behind him, the tall ghoul carried in his arms a plastic baggie full of ice, some medical tape, a pill bottle, and what looked to be another carafe of elderflower lemonade with some cups. Ember tried his best to smile, but he still felt like a clumsy, weak idiot who’d spoiled all of their fun.

Mountain set down the items he’d brought on the nightstand and got to work straight away. He knelt next to the bed to help Ember remove his shoes, taking extra care with his injured ankle. The skinny ghoul clenched his jaw and tried not to wince as the shoe was pulled off. When they saw how swollen Ember’s ankle was, how the skin was already bright red or darkening with deep bruises, Mountain looked up at him with a worried expression.

“Damn, Ember, that looks really painful. I’ll do my best here but you might need to go to the infirmary and get this properly looked at.” Mountain’s voice was full of such heartfelt concern, and it should have made Ember feel happy that he seemed to care so much, but instead he only felt like more of a fuck-up. He frowned and lowered his gaze. “What’s the matter? Aside from your ankle, obviously.” Mountain asked him, resting one hand on his knee.

Ember closed his eyes and sighed. “I feel like I ruined what had been a really nice day. I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“Not at all! Seriously, today has been great, you didn’t ruin anything. I had been hoping we would come back here anyway and maybe watch a movie or something.”

He met Mountain’s gaze. The tall ghoul was giving him a shy smile, and the hand on his knee gave a little squeeze. Ember was still caught in his downward spiral of negative thoughts, and didn’t necessarily believe him. After a long pause, Ember whispered, “Do you think I’m weak?”

Mountain blinked at him. “Are you asking me or accusing me? Either way, the answer is definitely no. I’ve never thought you were weak. Not even once.”

Something finally clicked in Ember’s brain, and he felt some relief. It meant a lot to him, especially coming from Mountain, who had proven to be so very strong. “I needed to hear that. Thank you,” Ember said. He took another deep breath and switched gears, finally able to let those negative thoughts crawl back to the dark recesses they came from. “Let’s watch a movie then,” he added.

The resulting smile on Mountain’s face was so genuinely happy, Ember couldn’t help smiling in return.

“We should take care of your ankle first. I brought some painkillers,” Mountain said, looking over at the small pill bottle on the nightstand, “but I also have some CBD ointment that might help reduce the swelling and the pain, if you want to try that.”

“Whatever you think will work best, I trust your judgement.”

“Okay, get comfortable, however you want to watch the movie.” Mountain stood up and walked over to the desk, presumably to retrieve the ointment he’d mentioned. Another thought stuck him and he turned back toward Ember. “Do you want to borrow some shorts or something?”

Ember grinned, unable to resist the opportunity to be suggestive. “Are you trying to get me out of my pants?” He hoped it was true, despite it being a playful comment.

His bandmate blushed so hard Ember almost felt bad for saying it; Ember didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, he just thought things were getting more flirty between them and wanted to keep that going… 

“I—I want you to be comfortable, that’s all,” Mountain said softly, unable to meet his gaze, likely from being too embarrassed.

_ For fuck’s sake, reign it in for once in your life. Don’t scare him away. _ “Sorry, I was only teasing. Some shorts would be good, if you don’t mind.”

The tall ghoul turned back and rummaged through his dresser a bit before taking out a neatly folded pair of athletic shorts, then he handed them to Ember. “Here you go. While you get changed I’m going to go grab some snacks,” Mountain announced. He left the room in a hurry, and closed the door behind him.

“Damn, I think I really spooked him,” Ember said quietly to himself, feeling guilty. He resolved to stop being so forward, wondering if maybe he’d misinterpreted Mountain’s interest in him, or at least he’d misjudged how quickly things seemed to be going. He was reminded of Rain, whom he’d also misread at first, and didn’t want to repeat the same mistake. Normally, he was very much in favor of going after what he wanted, when he wanted to, but this time he’d be patient. For as long as he could be, anyway.

Ember changed out of his jeans with some difficulty as he tried to pull the pant leg over his swollen ankle, cursing silently as the pain stung sharply all over again. Once he took them off, he slipped on the shorts, which hung past his knees and loosely about his hips. He was scooting back on the bed, taking the side nearest the wall and leaning back against the pillows, when Mountain returned with a big bowl of popcorn and a couple bags of chips.

“Comfy?” the tall ghoul asked.

“As much as I can be with a busted ankle, heh,” Ember replied.

“Then let me take care of it as quickly as I can.” Mountain set the snacks down and then went to his desk to grab the ointment before he sat on the end of the bed at Ember’s feet. “I have to work this into the skin a little, so bear with me. I promise it’ll be worth it though, you’ll feel better in no time.”

Ember nodded, and sat up to watch what the other ghoul would do. Mountain scooped out a generous amount of ointment out of the small jar with his finger and started to apply it to the skinny ghoul’s swollen ankle. As his fingers rubbed the ointment in small circles over the injured area, Ember sucked in air through his teeth, the pain reigniting and snaking its way up his leg. The lead guitar ghoul shut his eyes and tried to keep his breathing steady, crossing his arms over his knees and resting his head on them.

_ Do. Not. Get. Hard. _

“Too much pressure?” Mountain asked, worried.

Ember shook his head against his arms. “Go ahead.”

“Okay, just let me know if it hurts too much.”

_ Maybe closing my eyes isn’t a good idea. _ Ember desperately tried to think of something terribly boring or depressing, anything else, anything but the pain radiating from his ankle and how Mountain’s hands were causing it and how much more he wanted to feel Mountain’s hands on him. “Tell me a boring story,” Ember said out loud.

“Why a boring story?”

“Call it a challenge. It’ll distract me.”

“Okay… “ Mountain’s fingers continued to rub the ointment over Ember’s ankle while he spoke. “There… once was a ghoul, who had a mom and a dad and two siblings, and they all lived in a cozy little cave in Hell. And one day, the ghoul wanted to learn his clan’s instrument, which happened to be the drums. He practiced for hours and hours and hours, so much that his family asked him to go to a separate cave when he was practicing. So he spent most of his time there, alone in his practice cave, for hours and hours and hours. When he wasn’t drumming, he was usually eating or sleeping. He didn’t have many friends, but he was happy to be honing his craft. Are you bored yet?”

“You know, for some  _ strange reason, _ I want to know how it ends,” Ember replied, fully suspecting that the story was about Mountain himself.

“Well, he got pretty good at the drums, and eventually he joined this band, and he had some pretty cool bandmates, and they played a bunch of shows for lots of people—”

Ember interrupted him, popping his head up to look at Mountain. “And you think that’s boring?”

“Not the band part. I think that ghoul sounds pretty boring though,” the drummer answered.

Ember hoped that Mountain didn’t really think that about himself. “I think he sounds dedicated. And he must be pretty talented after having worked so hard.”

Mountain looked up from what he was doing and met his gaze, smiling softly. “How’s your ankle?”

The distraction had actually worked. Ember considered how much pain he felt, and found it had diminished quite a bit already. “Pretty good, actually. I mean it still hurts but not so bad.”

“Great. I think you should still ice it, at least for a little while.” The tall ghoul got off the bed and briefly stepped into the bathroom to wash his hands, then swung by the nightstand to pick up the bag of ice and medical tape before returning to the same spot on the bed. Mountain started taping the bag to Ember’s ankle to hold it in place.

“Thanks for patching me up,” the skinny ghoul expressed.

“Thank  _ you _ for hanging out with me today. What movie should we watch? I have a bunch,” Mountain pointed a thumb over his shoulder toward the DVD collection.

Ember marveled at how diverse Mountain’s collection was, spanning across various genres and time periods, including some more obscure titles that he didn’t even recognize. Both ghouls decided on an action movie, and eventually settled on  _ John Wick _ , which Ember had been wanting to see for the longest time but never got around to watching. Mountain set up the DVD player and turned out the ceiling lamp so that the only light source was the TV. 

The tall ghoul then joined him on the bed, leaning back against the pillows beside him, though Ember noticed, much to his dismay, that the drummer kept his distance a little.  _ Shit, he’s still spooked. _ Ember tried to keep his expression neutral, staring forward as the movie began. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mountain glancing at him now and again.  _ Or maybe he’s just that shy? He seemed okay with cuddles earlier at least… that should be safe enough, right? _ The skinny ghoul pressed his lips together, debating internally.  _ So much for being patient. I can’t stay away from him like this…  _

Taking a chance, Ember scooched over toward Mountain and wedged himself between the drummer ghoul’s long arm and his torso, snuggling against him on his uninjured side and resting his hand lightly in the center of Mountain’s chest. He was relieved when the tall ghoul’s arm tightened around him, shifting Ember closer to him, and his other hand rested on top of the skinny ghoul’s hand on his chest. He listened as Mountain’s heart began to beat a little faster. Ember smiled, now feeling like this was the proper way to watch a movie.

Ember decided very early on that he loved  _ John Wick, _ he found the story compelling, the action scenes were expertly choreographed, great cinematography, all of it, all the things he wanted from an action film about revenge. But as the movie carried on, Ember found himself getting distracted.

He wanted more than just cuddles. He wanted to feel Mountain’s hands on him, and likewise run his hands all over Mountain, to make the tall ghoul’s heart race even more. He wanted to taste his skin, which in this close proximity had a kind of woodsy smell, as if Mountain was especially attuned to his element, even here on the surface where their connections were minimal at best. Ember wanted to do so much more, but he was trying so hard to hold himself back.  _ What do I do? What if I try it and he rejects me? I don’t think I can handle that again… But he seems interested, maybe he’s just not an initiator. Or maybe he only wants to cuddle. Fuck. _

Eventually, his desire and his anxiety around what to do about it grew so strong that Ember’s body shivered a little, twitching noticeably.

“Are you cold?” Mountain asked right away. “Maybe from the ice pack?”

Ember shut his eyes tight and shook his head. “I’m fine. Just a random chill, it’s nothing.”

Mountain’s hand lifted from Ember’s and reached over to lightly turn the skinny ghoul’s face up toward him so they made eye contact. Their faces were very close, and Ember’s desire was threatening to overpower his resolve. 

“I’m a good listener, remember. Really, you can tell me anything, I won’t judge.” The drummer ghoul’s voice was quiet, and very sincere. 

Ember stared into Mountain’s eyes, looking back and forth between his captivatingly jade irises. His own heart was hammering in his chest now, wildly fluctuating between being scared to get rejected and being almost unbearably horny. But it was a different kind of horny than he normally felt; he wanted to learn every inch of Mountain’s body, to make every part of him feel wanted and appreciated… 

“It’s not about what I want to say,” the skinny ghoul spoke, his voice shaky with want. “It’s about what I want to do… “

Mountain’s hand was still gently resting against the side of Ember’s face, and his thumb slid back and forth across his cheekbone in a delicate way that soothed some of the skinny ghoul’s fear. “So do it,” Mountain said bluntly.

_ Here goes nothing. _

Ember propped himself up on his elbow to lean in and kiss Mountain tenderly. The drummer’s lips were soft and warm, and, most importantly, they kissed him back. Ember sighed into the kiss with relief, so happy as the tall ghoul opened his mouth to him and the arm around his back pulled him closer, their chests pressed tightly together. When their tongues met, they explored each other slowly. Ember wanted to memorize the taste of him, something about it was magnetic, he couldn’t have pulled away if he wanted to, and Satan knows he didn’t want to. They took turns sucking each other’s tongues deep into their mouths, and both ghouls giggled a little at their exchange.

It was impossible for Ember to tell how much time had passed as they made out, no matter how long it was, it would never be enough. It was so much softer than what he was used to, but that was hardly a bad thing; in fact, he found it all very refreshing and comforting. 

Mountain pulled back to breathlessly say, ”I could kiss you for hours.”

Ember locked eyes with him, similarly out of breath. “Is that all you want to do?” he asked tentatively. If the answer was yes, he could manage, but he hoped the tall ghoul was interested in more too.

“...No, that’s not all,” the drummer finally answered, his flush in his cheeks visible even in the dim, flickering light of the TV.

_ Thank Lucifer. _ Ember kissed Mountain deeply, and caressed the tall ghoul’s chest with a careful hand. The muscles under his t-shirt were well-defined and sleek. Ember’s fingers drifted over Mountain’s nipple and paused there to toy with it a little, testing the waters some more. 

The tall ghoul made a noise in his throat and broke off the kiss with a tiny gasp, obviously affected by it.

“Sensitive?” Ember asked quietly, then bit his lip. Mountain nodded. Ember kissed him again, humming into it, pleased to find that out. Hyper-sensitive lovers were possibly his favorite; their reactions to his actions could be so raw and intense, which only increased his own pleasure. Ember was fully hard, grinding slightly against Mountain’s thigh, and he wanted to feel if the drummer was hard too. The skinny ghoul let his hand wander further down Mountain’s torso as they continued to make out, and his hand was almost to Mountain’s waist when the drummer pulled away again and gripped his arm.

“Hold on,” Mountain requested, trying to catch his breath. Immediately Ember paused his movements, fearing that he was moving too quickly.

“Sorry, I got ahead of myself, we can slow down, or take a break, whatever you want.” Ember was rambling, desperately trying to keep things going in whichever way Mountain was comfortable with.

The tall ghoul replied, “No, you’re good, I… I  _ want _ that. But first I need to tell you something.”

That could mean so many things, but Ember’s first thought blurted out before he could stop himself. “Are you a virgin?”

Mountain chuckled, and the tension eased slightly. “No, I’m not a virgin.” He took a deep breath. His jade eyes were moving rapidly back and forth between Ember’s eyes, like he was trying to figure out how to say what was on his mind. He was nervous.

“Hey, I’m a good listener too, you know. When I want to be, anyway. And right now I’m all ears,” Ember stressed, wanting his bandmate to feel comfortable telling him anything too.

Mountain reached up to grab the back of Ember’s head and kissed him with a strange intensity, as if he was worried it might be their last. It made the skinny ghoul worry too, but when they at last pulled apart again, Ember tried to encourage him. “Go on, don’t be afraid to tell me, whatever it is.”

He’d never seen the drummer get over-emotional or lose his cool, so seeing the way his face creased with some internal torment over him, or at least involving him, was almost too much for Ember to bear.

Finally, Mountain spoke up. “I’m… I’m worried that you won’t want me if I can’t keep up with your sex drive. I know you’re a very sexual ghoul, and I support that, fully, but most of the time, I’m not on that level. This is a brilliantly shining exception. It’s rare for me to feel… physical desire for anyone, even if I’m emotionally involved with someone…”

When he first heard it, Ember’s heart sank, fearing they were about to decide this wouldn’t work before they’d even tried, but as he took some more time to absorb it, the less it concerned him. Ember brought his hand to Mountain’s face, cradling his cheek. “You’re right that sex is important to me. But it’s not everything. I’ve had plenty of sex lately and that doesn’t seem to be what’s most important.”

Mountain looked more hopeful upon hearing that. “Then what  _ is _ most important?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmmmm finally things are getting more physical :3   
> Can't wait to continue this (I'm starting on chapter 4 today)!!!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


	4. Has it been a while?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mountain and Ember have a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH AND I DON'T HAVE MUCH ELSE TO SAY ABOUT IT AHHHHHH  
> Hope you enjoy, it's finally time for some smut! >:D
> 
> Thanks to @Dying_Deist and @SushiWestern for beta reading!! 🖤🖤🖤

Mountain couldn’t believe this was finally happening. After having imagined it a thousand different ways, Ember was in his bed, kissing him, touching him, wanting him. He felt every touch so acutely, he didn’t want to forget a single moment of it. And even after Mountain told him about his lower sex drive, Ember was still here with him. He hadn’t run away or lost interest.

“What’s most important to me right now is… “ Ember started, considering his words, “Understanding. I need someone who understands me. Because I have hang ups of my own that keep… getting in the way.”

“I’m curious what you mean by that. What hang ups?”

The drummer ghoul watched Ember take a turn to feel nervous, hesitant to share what he was thinking. Whatever it was, it seemed to have caused him a great deal of heartache in the past. Mountain waited quietly for him to speak again, rubbing the skinny ghoul’s back lightly.

Ember finally broke his silence. “I like pain. And it’s more than just like, a fetish thing, it’s… it’s something I need. And in the not-so-distant past, that’s been a real issue. It doesn’t even take much, usually, but I—Well, I’m sure you noticed the way I got excited when we fought in the Wrath pits…“ The skinny ghoul trailed off, allowing him to comment.

“Sure. But I honestly didn’t think much of it. Bodies are weird sometimes.” He’d had plenty of times when he got inexplicably turned on for no reason, and Mountain guessed that sort of thing happened fairly often for those who were more sexually inclined.

“Do you think it’s weird that I like pain?” Ember asked.

“No, I think it’s pretty fascinating, actually,” Mountain replied. He found himself wanting to see to what extent Ember’s desire for pain went. “What kind of pain are we talking here, any? Or something more specific? Hot wax? Branding?”

Ember snorted. “Well those don’t tend to be readily available, so I’m glad it’s not that specific. I like where your head’s at though… I’m usually more along the lines of getting knocked around a bit, being choked, that sort of thing.”

“Oh, okay then.” It didn’t sound like anything too crazy, and Mountain didn’t understand why that would be a problem.

The lead guitar ghoul looked at him for a moment, then said quietly, “If I asked you to hurt me, would you do it?”

Mountain stared back into his cool grey eyes and answered, “Yes. I like fighting too, and it’s always safer to do that with someone you can trust.”

The tall ghoul was shocked as Ember’s eyes filled with tears. The skinny ghoul lowered his head to Mountain’s chest and started crying with shuddering breaths. The thin shoulders under his arm shook with each quiet sob, and Mountain wrapped both arms around him to hold him closer. While he hated to see Ember cry, he also felt grateful that they were both being so open with one another. 

When he’d calmed down a little, Ember lifted his head back up and wiped away his tears with his hand, smiling. “You have  _ no idea _ how much it means to hear you say that,” he whispered, and then he leaned in to kiss Mountain. 

His kiss was so passionate, and so deep, Mountain almost felt overwhelmed by it. Their tongues slid together like matching puzzle pieces, and it felt as if they’d been made to kiss each other. The heat from Ember’s body was so tangible and enticing.

They pulled away to catch their breath. The ghouls stared at each other, breathing heavily, before Mountain spoke up. “No one has ever kissed me the way that you do,” he confessed. “I never expected someone like you to ever even notice me, let alone be here with me like this.” He’d admired Ember from afar for so long, he’d almost given up on the whole thing.

Ember looked touched by his words, and also a little apologetic. “You deserve to be kissed this way,” he insisted, them demonstrated his point by kissing him again, passionate but brief. “If anything, I feel like I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you.”

“What? Why?”

“You’re so kind… and generous, and considerate, and even though we haven’t really interacted much before now, you’ve already treated me nicer than anyone else ever has. You seem so… pure.”

Mountain could see why Ember would think that; he’d been trying to present his best self, as was only natural when wanting to impress someone. But now seemed a good time to show the skinny ghoul another side of himself. “I’m not  _ that _ pure,” Mountain said. He shifted onto his side, pulled Ember against himself, and grinded their hips together so the skinny ghoul could feel how hard he was for him. The drummer kissed his bandmate deeply, finally expressing all the desire he’d been hiding away during the day, and it felt so good to do so that it gave him goosebumps. Ember whimpered into his mouth and pulled away.

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to,” the skinny ghoul stressed.

Mountain took hold of Ember’s thin wrist and directed his hand down to palm him over his jeans, which had become uncomfortably tight. Ember needed no further encouragement, as he began to rub his hand up and down Mountain’s cock, making him sigh at the touch before he said in response, “Maybe not all the time, but right now, I want to.” Admitting it out loud made his entire body flush with heat.

He watched Ember smile at that. “Okay but if you need to stop at any point, just say so.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that. Do you need me to hit you or… ?” He wanted to be mindful of Ember’s needs too.

“Normally I’d say sure, but this time… I just need  _ you.” _

Mountain released his hold on Ember so he could tug at the hem of the skinny ghoul’s shirt, wanting to remove all barriers between them. Ember let him pull it over his head, and returned the favor for Mountain. They spent some time simply caressing each other’s naked torsos, taking in all the details. Mountain was immediately drawn to Ember’s nipple rings, as no doubt countless others had been before him. “Can I—“ he started to ask, but Ember answered “Yes,” breathlessly, apparently not needing to hear the question. The tall ghoul bent to bring his mouth to one of the piercings, flicked it with his tongue and then tugged on it with his teeth. Ember’s back arched to meet the sensation, and he let out a tiny moan that fueled Mountain’s lust that much more.

As his mouth continued there, the drummer’s hands slid down to pull off the shorts he’d let Ember borrow.  _ Thank you, past me, for unintentionally planning ahead. _ Mountain sat up to pull them fully off, carefully over the skinny ghoul’s injured ankle. “Do you want to keep the uh… ice on?” Most of it had melted, so it was really more like a bag of water on his ankle.

“Fuck it,” Ember sat up too and started tugging at the medical tape to remove the bag. Mountain laid back, leaving him to it, and began to unbutton his jeans.

Ember whirled his head toward him. “Hey! Let me! Please.”

“Okay,” Mountain said, and he stopped what he was doing. Once the skinny ghoul had removed the tape and the bag from his ankle, he crawled over Mountain and his thin fingers undid his pants for him. Mountain was propped on his elbows, watching him and breathing a little heavier with anticipation. Mountain lifted his hips off his bed so Ember could tug his jeans off. 

“Fuck, your legs are so long,” the skinny ghoul commented.

“That’s not all…“ Mountain said. Normally not one to brag, the tall ghoul allowed himself at least that much vanity; he had a great cock, and he knew it. And Ember’s reaction didn’t disappoint, as he eyed Mountain’s big, hard dick and licked his lips.

“Long everywhere, it seems,” Ember said. He bent down over him to kiss Mountain’s stomach and the drummer shuddered. “Can I suck you off?” the skinny ghoul asked bluntly.

“Um, actually, please don’t, I… I don’t really like oral, sorry,” Mountain confessed. He could see the disappointment in Ember’s face, though he did his best to conceal it. Mountain hated to let him down; he recognized that it wasn’t common and he felt bad since Ember seemed to enjoy it. “Sorry,” Mountain apologized again.

“It’s okay, really, it’s perfectly fine. We all have preferences. What if I use my hand?”

Mountain nodded. Ember’s hand began to stroke him, and the sensation of it made Mountain squirm a little as his breathing picked up.

“Has it been a while?” Ember whispered. It must have been obvious, from the way Mountain was melting at every touch. Again, Mountain nodded, his eyes shut tight as he focused on the feeling of Ember’s hand on his cock. “That’s good to know,” Ember said. As the skinny ghoul continued to stroke him, he got in close to kiss the side of Mountain’s neck, making him shudder with even more pleasure.

“Do you prefer to give or receive? Or not at all?” Ember whispered, his breath warm against Mountain’s ear.

The drummer licked his lips, which were dry from breathing so heavily. “Um, either, really. No preference. Whatever you want to do is fine by me,” he answered.

“Hmm, okay… in that case, I want to give… any favorite positions?” Ember’s tongue traced his earlobe as he waited for his response.

Mountain laughed a little, partially from the ticklish feeling of Ember’s tongue on his ear and partially from being asked so many personal questions, so directly. “This feels like a survey,” he commented.

“I know, I just want to make sure you’re comfortable with whatever we do.” Ember shifted to kiss him on the mouth again, and Mountain felt like he was going to dissolve into the mattress. When he broke away, they were both panting. “How about I lay back and you ride me? That way you can control the pace, does that sound good?” Ember suggested.

Just talking about it was enough to make Mountain feel dizzy, and he nodded in agreement.

“Okay, last question, for now anyway, do you have lube?”

The tall ghoul chuckled, then rolled over toward the nightstand. He opened the drawer and heard Ember go, “Ooooh!” when he spotted Mountain’s dildo alongside the bottle of lubricant. Mountain shrugged a little. “Sometimes you just need to take care of business.” He grabbed the bottle and closed the drawer.

“I’d like to watch you use it sometime,” Ember said.

Mountain blushed; he’d never had someone watch him like that.

As they started to get into position, Ember lying on his back and Mountain straddling him, the drummer opted to prepare himself while the skinny ghoul watched and lubed up his cock. Feeling exposed but also turned on by having someone, especially Ember, watching him, Mountain reached back to stick his slicked finger inside himself, gradually stretching and adding more fingers until he was panting again, and his cock started to leak down onto Ember’s stomach.

“Fuck, I want you so bad, Mountain, are you ready?” Ember’s face and body were flushed.

Mountain nodded and kissed him hard, then sat up to lower himself onto Ember’s cock slowly. Both ghouls sighed with relief as they finally connected physically, and once Mountain was fully seated, they remained still for some time, simply breathing and savoring the feeling of each other. Mountain bent down to kiss Ember again, whose hands slid up and down his thighs affectionately. Finally, enough was enough, and Mountain began to move his hips, starting the friction they both craved, and Ember rolled his hips upward to meet him, until they’d picked up a good pace. It didn’t take long to realize that this wasn’t just fucking; Mountain, while maybe not  _ as _ experienced as Ember, had fucked enough times to know that this was something else. This was  _ making love. _ Their movements were so in sync, so tender, so sensual, and they couldn’t look away from each other.

Mountain was in the habit of trying to stay as quiet as possible, only allowing the occasional gasp or sighing breath to escape him, whereas Ember made enough noise for the both of them, moaning to his heart’s content and making incredibly erotic faces as he did so. Ember’s hand began to stroke Mountain’s cock again, and the resulting combo of stimulation was so pleasurable that the drummer crumpled over to press his face into Ember’s shoulder, gasping for breath, his senses overloaded. The skinny ghoul slowed his movements, and stopped stroking him.

“Hey, you okay?” Ember checked in, smoothing his hands over Mountain’s now very sweaty back.

Mountain gulped for air as his body shivered, still feeling overwhelmed. “Yeah, I’m okay… just need to breathe a second.”

Ember’s hands continued to caress him softly. “Does it feel too good?” he asked.

Mountain nodded against his shoulder.

“It feels so good for me too,” Ember said, rubbing the tall ghoul’s arms soothingly. “We can take our time, there’s no rush. I just want to be here with you.”

His words struck a chord inside Mountain, who felt tears of joy forming in his eyes. Before they could fall, he closed his eyes and kissed the skinny ghoul, hoping to convey how much it affected him. Then he slowly began to rock his hips again, ready to keep going. With a notable caution in his movements, Ember thrust up to meet him, and together they built the pace back up, a little faster than before. Mountain sat up again and tilted his head back, letting himself get lost in the pleasure and finally allowing some moans to escape him as he rode Ember’s dick. Beneath him, Ember moaned too, and his hand once more stroked Mountain’s cock, only this time the drummer was more prepared for it.

“Oh my fuck… Ember… “ Mountain mumbled, not sure what he was even trying to say. He was dripping with sweat; he could feel it soaking the blanket under his knees, and could see it falling in drops onto Ember when he bent over him again.

“Are you close?” Ember asked.

“Mmhmm,” Mountain answered, pressing his lips together as he felt the coiling heat in his gut. He didn’t know if this was too soon for Ember, but he wasn’t going to last much longer, 

“Just let go, let me make you cum,” the skinny ghoul told him.

It was all the motivation he needed. Mountain moved faster, seeking his release and hoping Ember would too. The pleasure built up and built up until Mountain felt his whole body tense and he groaned out Ember’s name as he came, shooting thick ribbons of cum over the skinny ghoul’s hand and across his stomach and chest. Ember quickly followed, thrusting up a few more times before he moaned and filled him. As they both came down from their high of pleasure, the two ghouls breathed heavily and couldn’t stop smiling at each other. Finally Mountain shifted forward to release Ember’s cock and laid down beside him.

Still catching their breath, the two ghouls intertwined, their legs overlapping and their hands caressing whatever they could touch. They shared a tender kiss, and afterward Ember gently rubbed their bottom lips together, so gentle it almost tickled.

“Thank you,” Ember whispered.

“...For the sex?” Mountain asked, unsure what he was being thanked for.

“For trusting me.” Ember’s hand held his face gently as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“Thank you for being so accommodating,” Mountain said. He was so happy that his limitations didn’t seem to bother Ember in the slightest.

Ember’s mouth opened to speak again, but he stopped short.

“What?”

The skinny ghoul shook his head dismissively, but kept smiling.

“What were you going to say? Come on, don’t clam up now, not when we’ve been so honest with each other,” Mountain tried to encourage him.

Ember bit his lip and took a deep breath, then exhaled through his nose. “It’s too soon…“ he muttered.

“Too soon for what?”

There was a long pause while Mountain watched Ember’s expression carefully, trying to read what the skinny ghoul wanted to express.

“I think I love you,” Ember blurted out.

Mountain stared at him in shock. He had  _ not _ expected Ember to say that, and his heart was pounding suddenly upon hearing it.  _ No way. There’s no way, he can’t be serious…  _

Panicking, Ember tried to backtrack. “See? I told you it’s too soon, forget that I—”

“I love you too,” Mountain cut him off. It was such a relief to finally say it out loud, after having felt it for longer than he dared to admit.

“Wait, really?”

Mountain nodded, the tears of joy coming back in full force.

They kissed each other kind of frantically, both so overjoyed that they felt the same way, in between laughing softly and happy crying. This was all Mountain could have ever wanted; all the years of loneliness seemed to fade out of existence, none of it mattered anymore now that Ember loved him. Even if Ember’s feelings were temporary, feeling it at all was enough for Mountain. Finally they settled down, and the tall ghoul got a chill as the sweat on his skin began to cool.

“Fuck, I’m so sweaty, sorry about that,” Mountain apologized.

“I like it,” Ember responded, then dragged his tongue across Mountain’s collarbone. 

“So the rumors are true then… you  _ are _ a nasty gremlin, aren’t you?”

“Afraid so.” Ember grinned. He ran a finger through Mountain’s cum still on his chest and then brought it to his mouth, lewdly sucking his finger and apparently enjoying the taste. Mountain didn’t understand the appeal, but if it made Ember happy, then he didn’t mind.

The drummer got up off his bed to grab something to clean up with, and as he stood, he laughed when he looked at the TV: the DVD menu was playing on repeat, they’d missed the end of the movie entirely.  _ Guess we’ll have to try watching it again sometime, _ Mountain thought as he stepped into the bathroom to get a towel. He returned to his bed and they cleaned up, as much as they could anyway. The blanket was still quite damp with sweat, but when he started to fuss about it, Ember just chucked the blanket onto the floor, insisting that they’d be plenty warm without it.

“Hey, how’s your ankle doing?” the tall ghoul asked, suddenly remembering the injury.

Ember looked like he’d forgotten too. “Well now that you mention it, it still hurts, but it’s not too bad.”

“Do you want me to go grab some more ice?” Mountain looked around the end of his bed for the athletic shorts, intending to slip them on and head to the kitchen.

“Come back to bed,” Ember told him.

It sounded so domestic, as if he was referring to it as their bed rather than just Mountain’s. The drummer wanted to share everything with Ember, his bed, his thoughts, his experiences, all of it. Mountain returned to the bed, their bed, as far as he was concerned, and cuddled up with his bandmate, pulling him into an inseparable embrace as a wave of true contentment washed over them. They kissed lazily for a while, until Mountain felt the need to speak up. He pulled away slightly, but pressed his forehead to Ember’s, their horns clattering against each other a little.

“So, in the event that you want sex and I don’t…”

“You don’t have to worry about that right now, let’s cross that bridge when we come to it,” Ember tried to tell him, but the drummer kept on.

“I want to talk about it now, if that’s alright with you,” Mountain said, though if Ember really didn’t want to discuss it he could wait. Ember nodded, and he continued, “If you ever feel the need for sex and I can’t provide that for you, I want you to feel free to seek it out from someone else. I don’t want you to think you need to deny yourself simply because I’m not on the same level.”

Ember took a moment to absorb what he said, then asked, “Won’t that make you jealous?”

“Not at all. Whatever you need, whoever you need it from, it’s all fine by me. As long as you come home to me, that’s all I care about.”

Mountain met Ember’s gaze, and saw his cool grey eyes filling with tears again, and his face contorted into what looked like a pained expression. For several heartbeats, Mountain worried that he’d upset Ember, until the skinny ghoul spoke. “I want to come home to you,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. He kissed Mountain sweetly, then spoke some more. “I feel like I’m dreaming, like this is all too good to be true.”

“Then let’s fall asleep and find out if you’re right,” Mountain offered, smiling at the thought of sleeping beside the skinny ghoul again.

The two ghouls settled into their bed and pulled the sheet over them, though Ember had been right; it was plenty warm with just the two of them, snuggled up together like they’d never been apart.

  
  


EPILOGUE

 

Ember woke from the deepest sleep he’d known since he’d come to the surface. Without opening his eyes, he reached his arm out across the sheet, searching for the tall ghoul. When his hand found no such warmth, he was filled with a bitter disappointment as he realized he was alone.  _ Fuck me, did I really fucking dream all of that? _

Ember rolled onto his back and shoved the palms of his hands against his eyes, rubbing them and trying not to cry. After several seconds he took his hands away to check the clock, and only once he’d properly opened his eyes did he notice he was still in Mountain’s room. He glanced around and sat up, everything was just as it had been the night before, except no sign of the drummer ghoul himself. Ember laid back down and inhaled the scent of the sheets; they smelled like Mountain, woodsy and comforting.

_ Thank the Dark Lord below. _

The door opened slowly to reveal Mountain pushing it with his backside, his hands full with a tray of food. When he turned into the room, Mountain spotted Ember and smiled wide.

“I was hoping to wake you with the smell of breakfast but… oh well,” the tall ghoul said, bringing the tray over to the bed.

Mountain set the tray over Ember’s lap, and gave him a quick kiss. “Good morning.”

“Okay, so I’m not dreaming, but now I’m convinced you’re simply not real. I’m hallucinating, aren’t I? Did you drug me?” Ember asked, grinning at him.

“It’d be easy to do, considering how much you love my cooking, but no, I didn’t drug you. I’m real and so are those eggs. Bon appétit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You haven't seen the last of these two! I can't wait to further develop their relationship~ THEY'RE SO IN LOVE HHHHH   
> It might be some time before I can get to the next installment of the series, so please be patient with me~
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


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